Friday, August 16, 2019

25 roads you need to drive in your lifetime Joanna Fantozzi





25 roads you need to drive in your lifetime



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The INSIDER Summary:
  • GoCompare, a British financial services comparison website, ranked the top 48 road trips around the world.
  • Road trips include the famous Black Forest in Germany and the original Silk Road in modern-day Uzbekistan.
  • Number one is the Road to Mount Nebo in Jordan.


When you think of the perfect road trip, you probably picture an all-American summer drive down Route 66 or cross-country. But Americans (contrary to popular belief) did not invent the road trip. If you're looking for a driveable international adventure, look no further than this epic list curated by GoCompare.
GoCompare compiled the top 48 best road trips for any budget from around the world, from the lush floral landscapes of the San Juan Skyway in Colorado to an eerie desert dotted with whale bones and shipwrecks in Namibia.
Keep scrolling to see the top 25 road trips from this varied roundup that you'll want to add to your travel bucket list.
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25. The Road to Hana: Hawaii, USA
The road to Hana is home to much of Hawaii's vibrant wildlife.
Bernard Spragg, Wikimedia Commons
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The Road to Hana in Maui is a diverse trip that includes sights of pristine beaches, dark jungles, narrow bridges, and spectacular waterfalls. It's almost totally untouched by civilization, which makes it a starkly different attraction than much of the rest of Hawaii's tourist-friendly locales.
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24. Tasman Peninsula: Australia
A sunrise over “Tessellated Pavement," a natural rock formation.
JJ Harrison/ Wikimedia Commons
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This 48-mile road trip down the coast of the Tasman peninsula in Tasmania, Australia, is home to some unique natural and rugged sights like the Tasman's Arch and the Kiama Blowhole,which sprays water up to 80 feet in the air.
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23. Big Sur: California, USA
Big Sur is one of the most popular destinations on the West Coast of the United States.
Cassidy Hopkins
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Big Sur may already be on your road trip bucket list. The 90-mile drive down the California coast is rife with spectacular views of seaside cliffs looking down onto quiet ocean coves, natural rock formations, and, of course, unforgettable sunsets. The scenery alone is worth the trek.
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22. San Juan Skyway: Colorado, USA
Fields of vibrant wildflowers cover the skyway in the spring and summer months,
Doss Imaging/ Wikimedia Commons
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The San Juan Skyway cuts through the 232 miles of historic peaks of the San Juan mountains in Colorado. From fields of wildflowers in the warmer months to the vibrant fall foliage that gives the Red Mountains their signature color, the skyway has five million acres of undisturbed forest, and takes about six hours to traverse.
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21. The Military Road: England
Much of this road overlooks cliffs that plunge into the English Channel.
Arriva436/ Wikimedia Commons
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A3055 is the technical name given to the Military Road on the Isle of Wight, which makes a 14-mile loop around the island. The road is considered one of the most scenic drives in the UK, though bad erosion has caused frequent landslides, and will one day cause the road to collapse into the sea.
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20. Azerbaijan
The entire country is riddled with natural beauty.
Vago/ Wikimedia Commons
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Can an entire country be a road trip? Yes indeed. The Middle Eastern country of Azerbaijan is home to vineyards, volcanoes (appropriate, since "Azer" means fire), and mysterious cloud forests. The country is situated on the world's largest lake, and is said to be the region where vikings came from.
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19. Avenue of the Baobabs: Madagascar
The baobab tree is an unmistakable silhouette, even in the dark.
Gavinevans/ Wikimedia Commons
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Baobab trees look like they're from another planet. Explore this natural formation, which seems to mimic the palm-tree lined Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles, along a 10-mile road in Madagascar.
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18. Skeleton Coast: Namibia
It's not just a creepy name: bones are buried in the sand.
Alastair Rae/ Wikimedia Commons
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The Skeleton Coast is one of the most eerie desert regions in the world. Nicknamed by sailors the "Gates of Hell," inland from this coastal Atlantic Ocean barren landscape is a whale graveyard dotted with the rotting remains of long-gone shipwrecks. The only way to reach this totally deserted region is by fly-in safari, something you likely won't find in your guidebook.
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17. Ring of Kerry: Ireland
One of the most "bonny" sights in Ireland out of the way of tourist attractions.
Tony Webster/ Wikimedia Commons
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The Ring of Kerry, also known as Iveragh Peninsula, is a 111-mile circuit located in Ireland's County Kerry that's home to twee bed and breakfasts, quiet beaches and outdoor sporting. You can easily walk or drive along the route and get to know the famous Irish countryside.
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16. Black Mountain Pass: Wales
The Welsh countryside is incomparable.
Les Haines/ Flickr
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This short, 23-mile stretch of road is one of the more scenic roads in the UK, and features hairpin turns, sheep sightings, and a quiet ride through expansive valleys and untouched countryside.
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15. Corsica's Northwest coast: France
The port of Calvi with the mountain Capu Di A Veta in the background.
Isiwal/ Wikimedia Commons
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Corsica, also known as the "isle of beauty," is one of the most sought-after beach destinations in France. Prepare yourself for sunny skies: no more than 60 days a year here are overcast or rainy.
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14. The Karakoram Highway: Pakistan
Snowy mountains loom at the end of this stretch of the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway.
Nabeel Akram Minhas/ Wikimedia Commons
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This 807-mile highway is the highest paved road in the world, and considered one of the world's most dangerous drives due to often inclement weather. It connects China and Pakistan, and crosses the Himalayas.
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13. Northern Ireland's Coastal Route: North Ireland
Home of Ireland's famous Giants Causeway.
Chmee2/ Wikimedia Commons
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Ireland certainly does not lack for natural beauty and this road trip will take you through the unusual (and large) rock formations of the Giants Causeway, Gobbins Cliff Path, and a few locations as seen in Game of Thrones (the Dark Hedges).
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12. The Black Forest: Germany
The forest is popular for its tangentially-related cake of the same name.
Pixabay
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Germany's Black Forest is covered in a tightly woven 2,320-mile swath of evergreen trees. You can hike through it, drive through its numerous small villages, and look for the big bad wolf or Snow White's cottage in the setting that inspired the world's most famous fairy tales.
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11. Cabot Trail: Canada
Here you can see views of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Tony Webster/ Wikimedia Commons
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This Nova Scotian drive runs though Cape Breton Highlands National Park, and is a whopping 185 miles-long. Dotted with prehistoric forests and challenging hiking trails, it takes several days to explore this island destination.
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10. Les Gorges du Verdon circuit: France
The 2,000-foot drops on this trip make it one of the more dangerous entries on the list.
ADT04/ Flickr
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This 114-mile circuit is considered one of the most picturesque river valleys in Provence. It features a can't-miss canyon between Castellane and Moustiers Sainte Marie that has a 2,300-foot drop and 360-degree views of the French countryside.
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9. Columbia River Gorge: Oregon, USA
The Grand Canyon is not the only spectacular "hole in the ground" in America.
David Van Horn/ Wikimedia Commons c/o Flickr
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Outside of Portland, this 70-mile drive takes you through protected woodland, alongside spectacular waterfalls and wildflower fields, and near some of the best hiking trails in Oregon.
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8. Romantische Strasse: Germany
The walled city of Dinkelsbühl is one of the many attractions on the "Romantic Road."
Skyscraper/ Wikimedia Commons
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The numerous attractions along the "Romantische Strasse," which means "Romantic Road" in German, include the Danube, numerous medieval castles, including the Neuschwanstein Castle (the architectural inspiration for Cinderella's Castle in Disney World), as well as Dinkelsbühl, a 14th century walled city full of colorful houses and timbered roofs.
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7. The Transfagarasan: Romania
Why wouldn't you want to test drive the road designed as an escape route?
Pixabay
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The famously (and oftentimes, ridiculously) windy hairpin turns of the Transfagarasan crisscrosses the regions of Transylvania and Wallachia. The road — with its numerous dips, drops, viaducts, and tunnels — is widely known as a challenge to motorists and cyclists.
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6. The Atlantic Highway: England
This is one of the greenest, most scenic routes in England.
Derek Harper/ Wikimedia Commons
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The Atlantic Highway, also known as the North Cornwall Coast Road, is a mix of green farmland and the Cornish seaside. It features attractions like Exmoor National Park, home to the famous wild moors of England, as well as miles of vineyards, fishing villages, and ancient castles steeped in Arthurian legend.
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5. The Golden Road to Samarkand: Uzbekistan
Samarkand is one of the most ancient cities on Earth, with evidence of human dwellings that date back to the late Paleolithic era.
Ekrem Canli/ Wikimedia Commons
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The Golden Road to Samarkand is better known by its historic name: the famous Silk Road. The 191-mile journey is dotted with ancient architecture and inspired a poem by the same name by James Elroy Flecker.
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4. The Garden Route: South Africa
You'll probably want to get out of your car to cross this rickety bridge alongside the Garden Route.
Pixabay
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The Garden Route snakes along the South-Western coast of South Africa. The draw to this cliffside drive is the juxtaposition between the natural waterfront landscape where dolphin sightings are common, and the mix of luxury resorts, golf courses, and vineyards a little further inland.
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3. Großglockner Hochalpenstraße: Austria
This is the highest surfaced mountain pass road in Austria.
Pusteblume91/ Wikimedia Commons
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This fairly short, 30-mile drive will take you through incredible landscapes of pine forests, cliff faces, and glaciers. Be wary of the hairpin turns: This road trip up to the "Black Mountain" is not for the timid driver.
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2. Drâa Valley: Morocco
The harshness of the Drâa Valley landscape is interrupted by lush oases like this one.
Sergey Pesterev / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
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The Drâa Valley is one of the most picturesque desert regions in the world, with natural rock formations, crags and valleys, and incredibly colorful sunsets. There's something different around every bend, like small villages and kasbah fortresses.
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1. The Road to Mount Nebo: Jordan
Mount Nebo is supposed to be the final resting place of Moses.
Faris Knight/ Wikimedia Commons
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Mount Nebo is one of the most famous holy sites in the world, and the 230-mile road to this revered spot ends at the Northern End of the Dead Sea. It will take you about 11 leisurely days to make your way across this desert landscape, ending at the top of the mountain where you'll find an ancient church. 

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